Page 74 of Tempting the Goalie
“Thanks, Daddy.” He leaves and I head up to my room to change out of my pajamas. While I’m in my room I begin to pack up my things. I hear a ruckus downstairs, which isn’t unusual when my brothers are together. I head downstairs to see what is going on, and I catch all four of my brothers wrestling each other in the foyer.
I pause a few steps from the bottom. “Will you guys ever grow up?”
I get Phoenix’s attention as he straightens out to look at me, but then Eric comes from behind and gets him in a headlock.
“Bean, we’re going fishing. You should come. We’ll barbecue tonight on the back porch. It’ll be a sendoff,” Phoenix says.
“I can go fishing,” I confirm. It would be nice to spend the day with them before leaving.
Eric releases Phoenix and Asher begins to hoot.
“I need to go up and change,” Becket says.
“Where’s Daddy?” Asher asks. “He’d want to go fishing.”
“On a date,” I relay.
Asher’s right brow arches and each of my brothers have a different look of shock on their faces.
“A date?” Phoenix asks.
“Yeah, you know, when you take someone out and get to know them,” I say sarcastically.
“Since when does Daddy date?” Becket asks.
“I don’t know but he seemed happy. He got all dressed up in a nice shirt and slacks.”
“Whoa,” Asher says.
“Yeah,” Phoenix agrees.
“Don’t be like that,” I scorn. “He deserves to be happy.”
“He was happy living the single life,” Eric says.
I roll my eyes at all of them. “You guys are all ridiculous. This whole I don’t need a relationship to be happy nonsense.”
“Bean, you’re the baby of this family,” Phoenix says.
“Yeah, so?” I place my fists on my hips.
“So, you don’t remember what a mess he was after Mom left. One minute they were a happy couple and the next she was gone,” he shares.
“Why didn’t anyone try to find her?” I ask, staring at them.
“Because Daddy said she didn’t want to be found,” they all reply.
“And you listened to him? She was hurting after Maggie died. But maybe something happened to her. Maybe there was a reason she couldn’t get back to us,” I suggest.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Daddy had a search put out. Her car was seen traveling toward Ontario. She stayed in motels along the way. It got to a point where he felt like there was no point tracking her. She left and she didn’t look back,” Eric says. I can still feel the hurt in his eyes and can tell the way his voice cracks that Mom left a wound in all of us that hasn’t healed.
“I’ve had enough of this talk. It’s just a downer,” Asher cuts in. “Let’s go grab some beers and go fishing.”
All my brothers hoot again. I hoot along with them and that causes them to laugh.
We head out front while Phoenix hitches the boat to the back of the truck. Eric places a cooler of beers and sandwiches to eat on the back of the truck. We all get in and head toward the lake. Phoenix turns up his country music with the windows rolled down. The moment feels nostalgic. There were many times growing up when I went fishing with my brothers. I always wished I had a sister to share girly things with, but I’ve gotten over that wish. Again, I find myself thinking of Luc. His father was dysfunctional, and his sister wasn’t always around. Besidesmy family, he didn’t have anyone to rely on. I think of how deeply it impacted him growing up alone that way. And yet, here he was a protector, a caregiver. He was back at home taking care of his nephew. He put him to sleep in the afternoons in his crib. He walked him around the property in his stroller. He was a good uncle, a good boyfriend, a good brother. But who was taking care of him? Daddy said he felt like Luc would come around on the kid’s issue. I sure hoped he would. Would I be happy if it were just the two of us? I didn’t feel equipped to make that decision. What I did know was I always wanted Luc in my life.
We arrive at the lake and my brothers get to work putting the boat into the water. The fishing rods and tackle were all on the boat already. While my brothers are working on the boat; I give Luc a quick call.
